Method and electronic device for providing authentication using an image sensor

Abstract

A method for providing authentication using an image sensor of an electronic device including: receiving, by the electronic device, a plurality of frames from the image sensor of the electronic device, wherein each frame includes a plurality of Optical Black (OB) pixels; determining, by the electronic device, a set of optimal OB pixels from the plurality of frames; and generating, by the electronic device, a unique key based on the set of optimal OB pixels for the authentication.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for providing authentication using an image sensor of an electronic device, comprising:
 receiving, by the electronic device, a plurality of frames from the image sensor of the electronic device, wherein each frame includes a plurality of Optical Black (OB) pixels; 
 determining, by the electronic device, a set of optimal OB pixels from the plurality of frames; and 
 generating, by the electronic device, a unique key based on the set of optimal OB pixels for the authentication, 
 wherein determining, by the electronic device, the set of optimal OB pixels from the plurality of frames, comprises: 
 determining, by the electronic device, location information of a plurality of candidate OB pixels in a first frame of the plurality of frames, wherein the plurality of candidate OB pixels are obtained from the plurality of OB pixels; 
 storing, by the electronic device, the location information of the plurality of candidate OB pixels; 
 determining, by the electronic device, location information of a plurality of candidate OB pixels in remaining frames of the plurality of frames: 
 performing, by the electronic device, an intersection on the stored location information using the location information of the plurality of candidate OB pixels of the remaining frames; and 
 determining, by the electronic device, the set of optimal OB pixels based on the intersection, wherein the set of optimal OB pixels includes OB pixels that are found in both the first frame and the remaining frames. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of OB pixels are present on an active pixel array of the image sensor. 
     
     
       3. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating, by the electronic device, a plurality of parity bits from the unique key; and 
 detecting, by the electronic device, an error based on the plurality of parity bits. 
 
     
     
       4. An electronic device for providing authentication using an image sensor, comprising:
 a memory; 
 a processor; and 
 an authentication circuit, operably connected to the memory and the processor, the authentication circuit configured to: 
 receive a plurality of frames from the image sensor of the electronic device, wherein each frame includes a plurality of Optical Black (OB) pixels; 
 determine a set of optimal OB pixels from the plurality of frames; and 
 generate a unique key based on the set of optimal OB pixels for the authentication, 
 wherein when determining the set of optimal OB pixels from the plurality of frames, the authentication circuit is further configured to: 
 determine location information of a plurality of candidate OB pixels in a first frame of the plurality of frames, wherein the plurality of candidate OB pixels are obtained from the plurality of OB pixels; 
 store the location information of the plurality of candidate OB pixels; 
 determine location information of a plurality of candidate OB pixels in remaining frames of the plurality of frames; 
 perform an intersection on the stored location information using the location information of the plurality of candidate OB pixels of the remaining frames; and 
 determine the set of optimal OB pixels based on the intersection, wherein the set of optimal OB pixels includes OB pixels that are found in both the first frame and the remaining frames. 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic device as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of OB pixels are present on an active pixel array of the image sensor. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the authentication circuit is further configured to:
 generate a plurality of parity bits from the unique key; and 
 detect an error based on the plurality of parity bits. 
 
     
     
       7. A method for providing authentication using an image sensor of an electronic device, the method comprising:
 receiving, at the electronic device, a plurality of frames from the image sensor, each of the frames including a plurality of Optical Black (OB) pixels; 
 determining, by the electronic device, a set of OB pixels by performing an operation using location information of the OB pixels of the received frames; and 
 generating a physically unclonable function (PUF) key based on the set of OB pixels, 
 wherein determining, by the electronic device, the set of optimal OB pixels from the plurality of frames, comprises: 
 determining, by the electronic device, location information of a plurality of candidate OB pixels in a first frame of the plurality of frames, wherein the plurality of candidate OB pixels are obtained from the plurality of OB pixels; 
 storing, by the electronic device, the location information of the plurality of candidate OB pixels; 
 determining, by the electronic device, location information of a plurality of candidate OB pixels in remaining frames of the plurality of frames; 
 performing by the electronic device, an intersection on the stored location information using the location information of the plurality of candidate OB pixels of the remaining frames; and 
 determining, by the electronic device, the set of optimal OB pixels based on the intersection, wherein the set of optimal OB pixels includes OB pixels that are found in both the first frame and the remaining frames. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the image sensor is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the electronic device is a mobile device.